


when did these games begin? I'm overthinking my thoughts again...

by LightLeadingMe



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Gen, Het, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 08:11:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14328255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightLeadingMe/pseuds/LightLeadingMe
Summary: Penelope and Luke's first date.





	when did these games begin? I'm overthinking my thoughts again...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [natashasbanner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/natashasbanner/gifts).



> Prompt: How about Luke and Penelope's first date and like that really awkward first date pressure people always put on it?

The restaurant was beautiful. The lights dimmed, the music jazzy and soothing, the all around aura pleasing and romantic. It was the perfect place for a first date... if it were anyone else in the world.

Penelope kept fidgeting in her seat, unbearably hot in her knit dress. The weather had been freezing all week, yet tonight it was in the upper 70s. She didn't have time to change before he picked her up so she rolled up the sleeves of her neon pink dress and trudged on. The candles on all the tables made it even hotter and she was hoping to God that the sweat dripping down her back was not showing through her dress.

Luke, on the other side of the table, was gnawing the inside of his cheek raw, trying desperately to find a topic, any topic, to talk about. He kept opening and closing this mouth like a fish when something popped into his head, but then he'd talk himself out of it and resume eating his cheek.

"So," Penelope croaked out as she reached for her glass of ice water. "This is... nice."

"Uhm yeah," Luke cleared his throat, smiling with more confidence than he was feeling at the moment. "How's the salad?"

"Delicious."

He nodded and took another bite as Penelope not-so-discretely chugged her water.

Another silence surrounded them, their eyes staying on their food, the sound of their chewing seeming to echo throughout the restaurant. Penelope looked at all the other couples laughing, kissing, and enjoying their company and then glanced at Luke as he avoided all eye contact. "Okay, why is this so weird?" she blurted out.

Luke coughed, reaching for his water glass as he swallowed a chunk of chicken parmesan. "What, uhhh, what do you mean?"

Penelope rolled her eyes and dropped her fork on her plate, the metal clinking on the china. Luke finally looked up and met her eyes in surprise. "You cannot tell me this is not the most awkward first date you've ever been on."

He sighed and set the water glass back down after taking a sip. "You're right," he acquiesced. "I've been on less awkward dates with people I'd never met before."

"Exactly!" she smiled at him and he returned it gleefully.

After a few more moments of taking small bites and staring at each other, Luke spoke up. "You wanna get out of here?"

"God yes!"

* * *

 

Thirty minutes later they were in a bar down the street from her apartment. After packing up their food and paying the bill at the restaurant Luke drove Penelope home so she could change out of her dress. He had to keep himself in check when she emerged from her bedroom wearing fire engine red pumps that strapped at the ankle, skinny jeans rolled up just above the strap of her heels, and a gold silky tank top that hung perfectly low to show off her cleavage. His pants suddenly felt tighter and he stared, mesmerized, as she bent over to grab her jacket from the couch, giving him the most perfect view of her ample breasts.

They chatted mindlessly as they drove to the bar and now they sat at a table, relaxed. Penelope chose her signature mai tai and Luke sipped at a beer. 

"This is so much better," she confessed. "I was dying at that restaurant. It was like a thousand degrees!"

Luke chuckled. "I did notice you were beginning to perspire a bit there," he pointed to her cleavage.

She glared at him. "Well the forecast said it was supposed to drop back down tonight, I didn't realize that wasn't until 2 am. Excuse me for trying to be prepared."

"Hey," he held his hands up. "I'm not trying to start anything-"

"Oh please," she scoffed. "You're always trying to find a way to get under my skin."

He frowned at her this time, his eyes narrowed. "I can tell you truthfully right now that I never _try_ to get under your skin. You just take everything the wrong way."

"Oh so you think I'm stupid and not perceptive, is that what you're saying, Newbie?"

"See, you just did it again."

"Ugh," she rolled her eyes. "Whatever, you're the stupid one." It was a few moments later when she spoke again, her eyes glued to her drink. "Maybe this was a bad idea."

Luke looked up at her and she met his gaze. He was now an official profiler, but he was never able to read her, especially now. "You want me to take you home?" She nodded at him and he stood up, helping her into her jacket. He placed his palm on her lower back as he guided her out of the bar, but dropped it when they made it out. The car ride home was just as awkward as before at the restaurant, neither knowing what to say. He walked her to her door, despite her protesting and watched her fumble with her keys. She unlocked the door, but didn't open it yet.

Penelope turned to him and smiled weakly. "Well, thanks," she said curtly.

He nodded at her. "Uh, yeah," he mumbled. "You're welcome." 

They stared each other down, not exactly sure where to go from there. Penelope kept telling herself to turn around and walk into the apartment, officially ending the date, but she couldn't move. Their eyes stayed glued together and neither of them realized it until it was too late, but their faces were migrating closer and closer together. It was when their noses touched that they came to their senses, but they didn't part. "Goodnight," she whispered, here eyes now staring directly at his lips.

Luke was about to reply when he felt her close the distance between them and connected their lips. A spark seemed to ignite between them and the next thing he knew, he was pinning her against the door, his hands gripping her hips and his mouth devouring hers. She had one hand in his hair and the other on his ass pressing into him as her leg hooked around his hip. Their tongues battled together just as well as their jibes at each other and they both moaned, the lust building more and more with each passing second. The sound of a door opening and closing down the hall didn't stop them, but a throat clearing definitely did and they parted unwillingly. 

"Penelope," her neighbor greeted as she passed them.

Penelope lightly pushed Luke's shoulders until he took a step back from her. "Evening, Mrs. Jennings!" The older woman nodded at her and smiled knowingly as she turned the corner towards the elevator. Penelope looked up at Luke and saw the lust still burning in his eyes along with surprise. She reached up and wiped the remnants of lipstick off him, trying to to think about what her own lipstick looked like. "So that happened."

He smiled. "Why have we never done that before? Tonight would have gone great if we just got that out of our systems."

"We're stubborn."

Luke chuckled, his eyes lighting up even more at the sound of her joining him in laughter. 

"And by the way," she said pointedly. "I don't know about you, but I still have quite a lot in my system I'd like to get out."

He wrapped his arms back around her waist and pulled her to him. "God, me too." Just as his mouth was about to attach to hers, she held her hand up between them. 

"Not on the first date, though."

Luke dropped his head so their foreheads touched and he sighed in exasperation. "Damn." 

She giggled and took his chin in her hand, pressing her lips to his gently. She reached behind her and turned the door knob, opening it and stepping back into her apartment, parting their lips. "Goodnight, Luke."

He pecked her lips one more time. "Goodnight."

Penelope closed the door between them and leaned back against it, the smile on her face following her the rest of the night, not even disappearing as she got into bed and fell into slumber. 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I didn't know how to end it, so there ya go. Hope you like it!! Title is lyrics from the song Alien by Sabrina Carpenter & Jonas Blue


End file.
